Fred Shepherd 80 ft Gaff Schooner 1902 - Sold

Fred Shepherd is remembered chiefly for the beauty and ability of his cruising yacht designs. Another particular skill was his mastery of the use of space. Thus his yachts, of whatever size, seemed to provide more space below than might be expected from the constraints of actual dimensions and CORAL is a fine example of his art.

Another “Sleeping Beauty” whose 40 years as a house boat in Cowes and therefore not sailing in the immediate post war years provides a strong clue to her remarkable condition today. Moreover she was not subjected to the whims and new fashions that developed to spoil the character of many such vessels from the ‘50s onwards. Thus her interior exhibits all the character of her original build and she has been lovingly and generously brought back to life; remaining, outside and in, a magnificent example of her genre - essentially quite unspoilt – and devastatingly beautiful to behold.

The owner of this yacht is now very keen to achieve a sale soon – hence the remarkably reasonable listing price.

VAT is unpaid on this yacht

Built as a gaff yawl for Dr J MacMahon of Cork, Ireland in 1902, twenty one years later in 1923 she was purchased by railway magnate Sir Hugh Drummond and renamed CORAL. Registered in Cowes she spent some years racing under the Royal Yacht Squadron burgee. Her real heyday came with some maturity at around 30 years old and her much coveted trophies include Winner of the King’s Cup in 1926 and 1928. She came 3rd in the 1932 Queen Mary’s Cup then going on to win it in 1934.

She had been built by White Brothers of Southampton in 1902 to Lloyds 100 A1 + standards. Not only were the finest materials used but every design detail checked against those stringent requirements at all stages of construction. Her massive construction was indeed unusual for a yacht designed – originally as a yawl - to be raced in the Solent. Nevertheless that very high standard and resultant strength have undoubtedly contributed to her remarkable state of preservation as much that pre war she was routinely dry docked for the winter.

During the 2nd World War she was laid up so that her 25 ton lead keel could be removed for the metal so essential to the war effort. Since then she has been lived on and cared for at Souter’s boatyard in Cowes - and then her owner of the last 18 years who had her rebuilt in Cape Town in 2005.

Under new ownership she underwent a refit in Grenada and Antigua which was completed early 2012 and has been chartering in the Caribbean since then under MCA Cat 2 for 12 guests and 3 crew. Featuring twice on the Royal Yacht Squadron’s honours board CORAL has been invited to the Squadron’s bicentennial celebrations

- Mostly teak on teak frames with topside planking in Kerouin and a rock elm keel
- Teak decks, toe rail and original superstructure

The accommodation below is generous; typical of Fred Shepherd. The space is enhanced moreover by excellent lighting from the numerous skylights above and white painted deck head. The original hard furnishings throughout, hand carved mainly of oak and teak, surmounted with brass fiddles, along with the cabin sole also of oak, display a craftsmanship and finish in keeping with her period. The sleeping accommodation is for up to three couples or two couples with four children - 6 singles. The crew have a separate companionway forward with 5 usable berths.

Double doors enter the doghouse and semi spiral companionway steps down alongside the engine room to

Ladies’ cabin immediately aft; beautifully appointed
- 2 x Single berths one to port and one up and outboard to stbd
- 1x Double berth with drawers under to stbd
- Large hanging locker
- Porcelain wash basin between with brass taps and cupboard storage under
- Skylight and electric light in deck head
- Period brass and modern lighting and electric points
- Lobby forward and day head compartment with electric WC and basin to port
- Navigation station / chart table forward to port
- Access to the main companionway leading forward

Midships captain’s cabin to starboard
- Single berth with 4 drawers under
- Detachable pipe cot
- Wash basin; cupboard and drawers under
- Opening port and window
- Sestrel compass
- Ample stowage
- Lights and electric socket

Saloon forward
- Burgundy leather Chesterfield button back long L shaped settee to port
- Drop leaf gimballed table with and bar stools to the table
- Similar style short settees bracketing a sideboard to starboard
- Useful cupboard and shelf space surrounding
- Tiled fireplace; cast iron wood burning stove with a 4 ft detachable chimney
- 2 x Opening ports and skylight for both light and ventilation
- Deck head lights with dimmers for night time lighting
- Double doors offset to starboard through the bulkhead lead forward
- 12V and 220 V sockets

Owner’s double cabin to port forward
- Double berth with drawers under and stowage outboard
- Porcelain washbasin and mirror above
- Chest of drawers and hanging locker
- Brass reading lamps
- !2 V fan, 12 V and 220 V sockets
- Opening port and skylight with bronze threaded supports

Owner’s shower room and head
- Shower compartment with rain head shower fitting and mixer taps
- Head compartment with custom traditional Blake electric flushing WC, macerator
- Wash basin with storage under and outboard locker

Long galley offset and running up starboard side
- Opening port and windsock ventilation
- Front opening fridge
- Top loading freezer
- Taylor 041 gimballed propane 2 burner cooker, griddle plate & grill with separate oven
- Double sink with pressurised hot and cold water; separate fresh and salt water foot pumps
- 220 V microwave oven
- Storage above and below worktops some with feature glass fronts
- 12 V fan and 220 V socket new

Access forward to crew quarters in the foc’sle
- 3 x Fixed bottom bunks
- 1 x Fixed upper bunk
- 2 x Upper pipe cots, of which only one is in use
- 1 x Fixed berth and 1 x Pipe cot to stbd
- Heated oilskin locker
- 12 V fans, 12 V and 220 V sockets
- Workshop space where anchor davit and aluminium emergency tiller is kept
- Crew companionway to fore deck
- Access captain’s cabin head compartment

Additional Domestic Equipment
- 3 x Period paraffin lamps
- Speakers to all cabins
- Substantial stowage throughout

- Main, fore mast (2004), bowsprit and spars are all of hollow Oregon pine
- Main mast pulled and rebuilt March 2015
- Main and foremast stepped on fabricated mild steel each spanning four frames
- Removable topmast reduces height from 78 ft to 59 ft fro deck level
- 2 x Wooden spinnaker poles
- Galvanised steel standing rigging (2004) with stainless steel forestay
- Leather protected galvanized turnbuckles
- Lower shrouds have soft eyes surrounding the masts at the hounds
- Remaining upper stays have hard eyes secured to the masthead
- Inner and outer shrouds adjusted by stainless plates and bolts
- Hand stitched leathered ash mast hoops
- Runner system upgraded with Harken blocks and Spectra lines
- Traveller for main sheet block over main saloon butterfly hatch

All Sails – except jib top and cruising chute Doyle, South Africa, Oceanis cloth
- Main
- Foresail new 2014
- Maintop
- Foretop new 2014
- Jib top
- Staysail new 2014
- Solent jib
- Larger Dacron jib top June new 2012
- Cruising chute ex schooner FLEUTJE

Canvas
- Forward awning by Graham Knight of Antigua Sails new
- Cockpit awning by Graham Knight of Antigua Sails new
- Second set of working awnings for maintenance aloft
- Fore hatch / crew companionway cover new
- Manual windlass cover new
- Life raft, drinks table cover new,
- Guest cockpit cushions new
- Second set of crew cockpit cushions
- Guest aft deck cushions new

- Bronze stanchions
- 2 x Bronze mushroom vents on aft deck to lazerette
- 17 x LVT bronze, self tailing winches (plus 2 as spares)
- Galvanised mild steel deck fittings; pad eyes etc
- Main and fore mast pin rails with galvanised mild steel pins both sides
- Stainless steel painted where chafing occurs; e.g boom fittings
- All blocks S. African ash cheeks, banded, hung and sheaved in bronze with copper rivets
- Spare blocks
- Skylight with bronze threaded supports over aft 'ladies' cabin
- Wheel through double chain reduction to quadrant steering
- Bronze capped compass binnacle
- Original doghouse and deck stowage boxes on both sides mainly for safety equipment; q.v.
- Skylight with bronze threaded supports over Saloon
- Skylight with bronze threaded supports over galley / fwd double cabin
- Gas locker box for’ard of butterfly hatch
- Fore hatch / crew companionway with sliding hatch cover
- 7 x Prism decklights of which 2 are lemon squeezer type.
- 4 x Large bronze deck cleats; 2 fore, 2 aft.
- Anchor davit starboard fore deck
- 350 lb Fishermans anchor. 250 ft of 5/8th inch new anchor chain
- 150 lb Kedge anchor
- 100 ft x ¾ inch stud link galvanised chain, full coil nylon multiplait kedge warp
- 100 m ¾ inch closed chain 30 m chain on 100 m 2 inch warp
- Custom Muir 24 V 3.5Kw bronze electric windlass fitted 2011
- 2 x Bollards
- Covers for all booms and skylights
- Traditional varnished boathook
- Warps and large fenders

- Spacious engine room accessed from aft companionway
- Volvo Penta TAMD 41P 170 HP 1998
- Racor fuel filter
- Aquadrive and dripless seal fitted new
- 3 bladed maxprop propeller new
- Engine controls in both cockpit and companionway
- Fischer Panda 6.8 Kw 50 Hz generator controlled from Nav station
- Control panel and breaker switches with volt and ammeters at nav station
- 24 V system with new 600 Ah AGM batteries for fridge, freezer and windlass
- Volvo 60 A engine driven 24 V alternator with internal regulator
- 12 V system with new 400 Ah low gas batteries
- 150 A engine driven 12 V alternator with external regulator
- Mastervolt MASS Charger
- Freedom 20 inverter / charger
- Engine calorifier and mains power for all forward accommodation hot water
- Second mains power water heater for aft ladies, captain's cabin and day head
- 2 x 450 Litre stainless steel fuel tanks; engine and gen
- 2 x 57 gallon / 215 litre day tanks by cockpit
- 2 x 120 gallon / 450 litre stainless steel fresh water tanks
- EchoTec 26 gallon / 100 ltr / hour water maker / reverse osmosis desalination system
- Pressurised saltwater system for heads and deck wash
- Additional fresh water flushing system for heads
- 26 Gallon / 100 ltr grey water tank for ladies' cabin aft, captain's cabin and day head
- Forward grey water tank for Galley
- Forward 53 gallon 200 ltr grey water tank; owners cabin, fwd head and shower
- Tank is converted for black water when required by sharing grey water with galley tank
- Stowage for up to four Propane tanks deck gas locker.

- Decca Aarhus ships compass at helm
- Sestrel compass on deck head viewable when lying on Captain's berth
- Garmin GPS Map 720S Map; 7 inch touch screen radar / chart plotter; worldwide base map
- 2 x Raymarine i70 multifunction; instrument displays at helm
- Standard Horizon GX 2150 Matrix AIS+ commercial grade receiver
- Marine handheld VHF
- Second hand held VHF in safety equipment
- Clipper Navtex for nav and met information
- Projector on deck which plays through a fusion iPod friendly stereo
- Waterproof speakers
- Autohelm auto pilot
- Speed, depth, wind
- LED power saving navigation lights

- MCA Category 2 coded for 12 guests and 3 crew, last inspected November 2014
- 2 x 8 man life rafts
- 12 x Lifejackets
- Horseshoe life ring with floating MOB beacon
- Horseshoe life ring with Dan buoy
- Flares
- EPIRB
- Tapered bungs for all sea cocks and engine exhaust outlet
- Second hand held VHF
- Medical first aid kit
- 220 V 2 inch electric pump with non return valves
- 2 x 2400 Rule electric bilge pumps and manual 'Whale' bilge pump
- Engine driven bilge pump with electric clutch operated from main panel
- Bilge alarms
- Xintex C-1 gas shut off valve and fume detector
- Automatic engine room fire extinguisher system
- Portable 1.5 Kg dry powder fire extinguishers; galley, nav station, stbd and aft cabins
- Fire blanket in galley
- Traditional anchor light converted to 12 V
- Anchor ball

Since April 2011
- Main boom rebuilt
- Oak stem rebuilt
- Keel pockets opened up and serviced
- Steel gussets fitted around rudder box to Frank Pearce’s recommendations
- Bright work taken down to bare wood and rebuilt 14 coats of Epiphanes
- Masts stripped down to bare wood and re varnished 2013
- Covers for deck furniture, toe rail and bowsprit made
- Sailing tender and a small RIB added
- Awnings from Antigua sails added
- Deck fridge added
- Galley fridge and freezer rebuilt
- Silver and china cabinet constructed
- Silk bathing tent and deck shower added
- Owner’s cabin rebuilt as double
- Garmin radar and Raymarine deck instruments added
- Wire runners replaced with spectra, Harken and leather
- Deck and cockpit cushions added
- Topsides and boot top painted
- Interior painted and varnished
- Bulwarks, engine room compartment and storm boards rebuilt; passed MCA Cat 2 survey
- Much upholstery, bedding and mattresses replaced

Additional equipment
- 2 x Solas A life rafts added
- Fire fighting equipment
- Lifesaving kit for 15 persons
- Custom Muir anchor windlass fitted
- New 175 lb Bruce anchor
- 300ft 5/8th inch chain
- New jib top and staysail 2014

- Double berth added in the ladies cabin enables accommodating two families on charter
- King size daybed constructed on deck interchangeable with the cockpit table
- New WC in the fore head with Corian back splash
- Refrigeration plate replaced and all fridges serviced
- Toe rail and deckhouse varnished
- Bulwarks painted
- Regular service for the engine and generator all fuel transfer hoses replaced